The eighth annual Castro Valley Pride festival will be held Saturday, July 14, from noon to 5 p.m. at Castro Valley High School, 19501 Redwood Road.

Organizers said that the community-oriented grassroots festival is a place where all are welcome, and where people can be themselves and enjoy friends and family.

"We think it's important for our community to understand that our families are the same as theirs, and that we live right alongside them in Castro Valley and many other small East Bay communities," Billy Ray Bradford, a founding member of the Pride festival, said in a news release.

Historical society open houseThe GLBT Historical Society will hold an open house at its archives Saturday, July 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 989 Market Street, lower level, in San Francisco.

"The Historical Society Archives: Behind the Scenes" will offer members of the public a tour, including a rare opportunity to visit the archival reserve normally accessible only to the society's staff. Joanna Black, director of archives and special collections, will provide an introduction to the holdings and the function of the archives.

Visitors also will have a chance to see scarce objects, artwork, and documents that have never been displayed publicly.

Guided tours will take place at 11:30 and 12:30. Light refreshments will be served.

San Leandro to honor LGBT seniorsThe city of San Leandro will issue a proclamation acknowledging the contributions to the community by Lavender Seniors of the East Bay Monday, July 16, at 7 p.m. during a regular meeting of the City Council at City Hall, 900 East 14th Street.

The recognition is also in celebration of LGBTQ Pride season.

The meeting, to be held in the council chambers, is open to the public.

Community forum at San Mateo Pride centerThe San Mateo County Pride Center will hold a community forum Wednesday, July 18, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1021 South El Camino Real in San Mateo.

Organizers encourage people to bring their ideas for what they would like to see at the community center. The town hall is a chance for people to share feedback, comments, and concerns.

Dolores Garden Club returnsAfter taking a break for San Francisco Pride, the Dolores Park Garden Club, organized by Dolores Park Works, returns Thursday, July 19, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Volunteers will assist Recreation and Park Department gardeners in restoring and maintaining the park's flower beds. People of all ages are welcome and should meet at the entrance to the children's playground. RSVP to robert@doloresparkworks.org.

CA seeks next poet laureateThe California Arts Council has announced it is seeking nominations for the state's next poet laureate.

The role of the poet laureate is to spread the art of poetry from classrooms to boardrooms across the state, to inspire an emerging generation of literary artists, and to educate Californians about the many poets and authors who have influenced the state through creative literary expression.

The poet laureate provides public readings in urban and rural areas; educates civic and state leaders about the value of poetry and creative expression; and undertakes a significant cultural project, with one of its goals being to bring poetry to students who might otherwise have little opportunity to be exposed.

The poet laureate serves a two-year term upon state Senate confirmation, and may serve up to two terms.

The state's current poet laureate is Dana Gioia, who has served since his appointment by Governor Jerry Brown in 2015 and his confirmation in 2016.

The California Arts Council manages the poet laureate nomination process for the governor, in accordance with the law. After a call to the public for nominations, applications are reviewed and evaluated by a panel of experienced state poets. Three finalists are sent to the governor's office for additional vetting.

The deadline to submit nominations is July 25. Poets may self-nominate or be nominated by experts in the field of literature.